Swim
by Chin-Chilla Boy
Summary: I asked myself a question. What if Zidane had swam back to the Mist Continent at the end of the game? A song-fic.


Hey there

Hey there. I finally have a new working computer. This thing is a beast, built it myself. I'm still working on Perfect Ending, so fear not, I have not abandoned you.

However, my all time favorite band, Jack's Mannequin, is releasing a new album on September 30th, and I got super excited to went and I YouTube and found an awesome song, and of course, being a geeky kind of kid, I immediately linked the lyrics to Final Fantasy IX's ending.

So, be nice, constructive criticism is welcomed because this is my first song-fic but please, no flames. That would be a dick-move.

Just a side note, all bold words are lyrics, all non-bold words are…obviously the story.

So here goes. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I own only the premise. You hear that? Ha! I own a premise! Don't steal it! Ask for permission! I'll gladly allow you to use it if you feel you can do better. Haha.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Zidane sat on the shore of the Lost Continent, listening and watching as waves from the great blue expanse before him crashed on the beach. The wind coming from the sea was warm, and moist; the smell of salt in the air. His hair swayed in the breeze, a smile spread across his face.

Something was different. He could feel it, with his body and soul; he could feel the peace that had finally settled over Gaia. After months of war, brutality, and their seemingly endless quest for answers, they had finally won.

The eight of them had accomplished something much different that what they had originally intended, but he couldn't be happier. It was as though a merry song was playing inside of him, and the excitement and happiness of the thought swelled in his chest, as though he could not contain himself.

However, a rather large predicament lay before him.

How was he going to return home? Would anyone come looking? Would they forsake him for dead?

He knew he couldn't just wait. The absurd idea popped into his head, and his mind was made up instantly, he hadn't thought about it for more than a minute, but he knew what he had to do.

**You Gotta Swim**

**Swim for your life**

He stood, and he walked slowly to the waves as they lapped against the wet strip of sand. He hesitated for a mere second, and then began his slow walk into the still warm water.

The waves were large, they thrusted him back, but he forged ahead, digging his feet into the muddy floor that was quickly becoming harder and harder to reach.

Waves slammed into his face, but Zidane put one arm in front of the other and pulled himself through the strength of the riptide. Instantly, he thought of Dagger.

Her radiant smile glowing in his mind's eye; his heart swelled at the thought of seeing her again. She was soon singing to him.

**Swim for the music**

**That saves you**

**When you're not so sure you'll survive**

Zidane sang her song as he pushed through the waves as they crashed into his face and caused him to splutter and cough. It gave him the strength he knew he would need in order to return home. The song gave him the goal of seeing her again, and hearing her sweet voice once more.

**You gotta swim**

**  
Swim when it hurts**

The boy hadn't made it more than a few hundred feet from the shore and his lungs began to burn.

He kept singing as he went; the extra exertion of singing while breathing heavily did nothing to help his predicament. He soon felt very foolish for his decision.

**The whole world is watching**

**You haven't come this far**

**To fall off the earth**

The thought entered his head. What would they think? How could the savior of all existence—a man who had overcome the greatest and most terrible cosmic villains ever—have fallen victim to a measly ocean?

He set his face and pushed on against the currents; still singing.

**The currents will pull you**

**Away from your love**

Zidane smirked at the thought, how had it come to this? That after so wanting to spend his life with the girl of his dreams; that he would make the conscious decision to leave her?

Instead, he chose to be with his brother. The proverbial "evil-twin". A man who had been responsible for every bit of the sorrow and anger, each and every one of them had endured.

**Just keep your head above**

The sun's final rays ducked below the surface of the water, and now he swam in darkness. Zidane tilted his head back and looked into the pitch black sky. Here, in the center of nothing, more stars than he could imagine filled his vision. It was the most glorious sight he had ever beheld.

He searched sky, singing the song, and continued pushing in the same direction. He kicked his legs and pumped his arms. He still hadn't found his rhythm, and he was struggling to keep up the current pace. His eyes swiveled around and locked onto a red pin-prick in the bluish black shroud above.

He was instantly reminded of Garland, and the red jewel that adorned his ancient black armor.

The man that was truly behind every bit of the misery they had fought against. Though his intentions had only been for the planet and people he loved, he never thought of the kind of anguish he would visit upon those on Gaia.

**I found a tidal wave**

**Begging to tear down the door**

The beast had crossed interdimensional boundaries to wreak havoc on Gaia, to save his precious Terra from the likes of some unknown disease. The _decline._

**Memories like bullets**

**They fired at me from a gun**

**Cracking me open now**

Zidane's thoughts shot back to his encounter with the man…if you could call him that. How his words had destroyed Zidane's mind momentarily. He couldn't comprehend what Garland was telling him. That he was naught but a puppet, he was no more alive than the Black Mages, and his only purpose was like theirs. Destruction and death.

His fist slammed into the water as he brought it back down for a stroke. The anger was flowing through his veins again.

He felt anger for his actions towards his friends in his time of weakness; anger toward Garland for his heartless ways, and his calculation-driven life mission. Then Zidane really thought about it…he didn't regret that moment of weakness in the slightest…had it not been for Garland, well…then he would never have had Garnet to lead him in the right path. Set him straight, and strengthen his resolve to find peace, even when everything looked bleakest.

**I swim for brighter days**

**Despite the absence of sun**

**Choking on salt water**

**I'm not giving in**

**Gotta Swim**

And he did. Zidane cleared all the thoughts from his head and pushed on. He felt he was making headway. Now he really felt he found the right pace. Between singing Dagger's song, and pumping his arms, and kicking his legs, somehow he found just the right amount of air to do it all together, and he was quickly powering through the water.

**You Gotta Swim**

**For nights that won't end**

The blackness hung overhead. He sighed and kept the song going. In retrospect he felt he should have left at dawn…it had been a very brash decision. He could be sleeping now. No! He mentally bashed himself; he could not allow himself to think that way. Just gotta keep going. Just…think about the others. This isn't for me. It's for them. I don't want to leave them.

**Swim for your families**

**Your lovers your sisters**

**And brothers and friends**

All of them, he was going back to his family. After spending weeks digging his way out of that wretched tree; Zidane could finally return to them all. Maybe things could go back to normal. He thought about that for a few seconds, and realized that they could not. Things could never go back to normal…not after all that's happened. Not after everything Brahne, Kuja, and Garland had done. But they would try. They would try to live normally, happily. Everything would work out.

**Yeah you gotta swim**

**Through wars without cause**

**Swim for these lost politicians**

**Who don't see their greed is a flaw**

Brahne had wanted the entire world, and though she said the terrible greedy feeling had come only after Kuja had…well he didn't really believe that. Personally, he forgave Brahne for what she had done--Garnet had, and he had forgiven Kuja--but he believed that the greed had always been there; under the surface, Kuja only gave her the means with which to put that greed use.

Her uses for those powers; war, death, destruction, power; Kuja did what he was told, and he furthered Garland's plan through his manipulation of the Queen.

Zidane continued pushing through the water, the thoughts annoyed him and he let out an exasperated sigh. As the air left his body he sank into the water. He quickly inhaled and sent droplets of water hurtling into his lungs. He coughed and spluttered. He quickly rolled over onto his back and allowed himself to cough and rest for a while in the water that was rapidly becoming colder as the night went on.

He drifted on his back for hours. Watched as the two moons rose over the horizon, saw hundreds of shooting stars. He didn't even recognize the fact that large storm clouds were gathering overhead, soon the moons were blocked out too; the night was even darker now than it had been before.

Zidane rolled over and started pushing with renewed vigor. He wanted nothing to do with this potential torrential down pour, nor the rough seas that the storm would inevitably bring along. He knew he had no chance of outrunning the brewing weather but he had to try.

**The currents will pull us**

**  
Away from our love **

**  
Just keep your head above**

The water crashed over him as the seas became rough, and he stopped swimming. Zidane began treading water as the water rose in fell in great waves and deep troughs. There was nothing more he could do. It was useless to even try to swim through this. He'd get nowhere except for a quick journey to an inevitable end.

**I found a tidal wave**

**  
Begging to tear down the door **

**  
Memories like bullets **

**  
They fired at me from a gun **

**  
Cracking me open now **

**  
I swim to brighter days **

**  
In spite of the absence of sun **

**  
Choking on salt water **

**  
I'm not giving in **

**  
I'm not giving in **

**  
Swim**

He couldn't do it anymore. He had to swim; otherwise he'd only be carried away with the swift currents, and the depressing atmosphere, and he would never see any of them again.

**You gotta swim**

**  
Swim in the dark **

He began pushing against the current again. The sea gradually became rougher. He had no idea how much time had passed, he'd spent hours in the water. He may only be a few miles off of the coast of the Lost Continent for all he knew. He felt he was going no where in the waves. But he continued putting one arm in front of the other and kicking his feet. Even after all he'd been through, he'd have to fight one final battle.

**  
There's an ocean to drift in **

**  
Feel the tide shifting away from this war **

**  
Yeah you gotta swim**

He was done. He could do it anymore. He couldn't swim any further. For the last unknown amount of hours, the boy had tried to do the obviously impossible. He felt stupid. He knew now that he would never see any of them ever again. What had he been thinking? Why hadn't he trekked back to Conde Petie? Why hadn't he made his way to the Black Mage Village to talk to Vivi? He could've even gone to the Desert Palace and used the Hilde Garde to fly back to the continent by himself.

He let out an exasperated growl. Dagger's song died. He stopped swimming, and he let himself go. He quickly dropped below the waves. The currents pummeled his sore muscles as he sank deeper and deeper, the water becoming colder with each passing inch.

Suddenly her face filled his mind's eye, and just as suddenly she was framed by all the others. Every one of them was beckoning for him to come. They all moved so lifelike. He had no explanation for it. He felt pulled by it. Pulled to the surface as though her were actually pulled along by them, as if a lifeline had been thrown to him.

**Don't let yourself sink **

He opened his eyes; he looked up to the water's surface and pushed against the water with all of his might. He may have covered twenty feet in his first push but it wasn't enough. His lungs were aching, he was sure they would soon explode from the pressure, and his need for a breath. He pushed again, and again, and finally on his fourth jump he broke the surface with a splash and took a deep painful breath, instantly his splash quieted by a large wave crashing down on him.

Zidane was thrown under the water once more. He looked up to see white caps crashing on the surface from below. He pushed again and broke the choppy surface. He fought to stay afloat and swiveled around. He had lost all sense of direction.

He took an unlikely chance. Zidane bit his lower lip and looked into the sky. As if in answer to his prayers the clouds parted just a little bit. He saw a few constellations he recognized. Zidane's eyes lit up in surprise and happiness, he had enough time to catch the glow of a few stars, but it was all he needed.

Zidane turned ninety degrees to his left and began swimming, Dagger's song playing inside of him again.

**  
Just find the horizon **

**  
I promise you it's not as far as you think**

**The currents will drag us**

**Away from our love**

But he'd be coming back.

He was going to lose her.

She wouldn't have to bear losing him again.

**Just keep your head above**

He could do this. He'd make it to Lindblum's port; he'd be there in no time. This was nothing compared to everything else that had happened.

**Just keep your head above**

He wouldn't sink beneath the waves again. He would keep pushing to the end. His resolve was unbreakable.

**Swim**

It was a bad idea, but it was his best choice. The water no longer felt like an enemy. Hey may have grown used to the waves pushing against him…but now it felt as though they were helping him along. Bringing him back home on the warm currents.

**Just keep your head above**

He could do this. He could really do this. Zidane was not a natural born swimmer, but he was a natural survivor.

**Swim**

He could feel it. He was nearly there. Maybe only hours had passed, maybe a day, maybe two. The storm had raged for so long, he had no idea, but now he knew he would survive. He could make it to Lindblum. Hours and hours of endless toil, movement, choking, coughing, and finally he felt happy. He was enjoying his swim in the world's oceans. It was the best kind of therapy he could've asked for after the war, and their adventure. The swim was just what he needed.

He hadn't really thought about it, he was too busy singing Dagger's song. The skies had cleared, the sun was in the sky, yet he was in shadow. First, his eyes darted to the sky; no clouds.

Then to the horizon; the mountains before him blocked the sun as he neared the port. The site was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen before. At that moment he felt he would live to be one hundred. He thought his heart might explode he was so overjoyed.

**Just keep your head above**

It was only a mere mile or so away, but the final mile to the port felt like the whole swim twice over. But he had to push on; he had to do it for them. He couldn't get this far and give up, the irony would be so great, and the story completely unknown. Who would tell of his feat if he were to die here?

After several minutes it was only feet away. He'd almost done it. He would do it! He kept swimming, his hand shot out for what must have been the millionth time in his personal voyage.

His hand sank into the warm sand. Zidane grasped it weakly, and clawed at it in an attempt to drag himself onto shore.

He gave several more feeble kicks and finally got his waist out of the water, the waves gently running over him.

Zidane only smiled, his eyes half closed, his head on the beach. He'd done it. Now he could return to them all. He was exhausted, he felt like sleeping for the next several days. He was home again. He'd always be here. Nothing would take him away now.

Nothing.

**Swim**

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So, what did you think? Was it too wordy? I suspected it might be…see I'm more of a story teller, I've seen other people do some of the most beautiful poetry/songfics ever on here, and I'm not quite sure mine can measure up.

Leave a review, criticism is welcome. No need to flame. If you feel you MUST flame, send it to me in a private message.

Anyway…hope you enjoyed it…check out my profile to a link to the song.


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